Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and PlanningThe Honourable Jeff Seeney04/05/2012Stark warning for Gillard GovernmentRio Tinto’s concerns over tax changes and increasing red and green tape in Australia were a stark warning to the Gillard Government, Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said today.

Mr Seeney called on the Federal Labor Government to heed the warnings from the giant miner that its policies were destroying Australia’s reputation.

Rio’s Managing Director Tom Albanese told a Brisbane function today that five years ago people would say ‘isn’t it great you have so many assets in Australia’ – now when he meets investors overseas they say the opposite, asking ‘are you worried about your over exposure to Australia’.

“When the Managing Director of one of the world’s biggest mining companies warns that the carbon tax and costs and delays in delivering new projects are affecting investor sentiment towards Australia it’s very worrying,” Mr Seeney said.

“We have been warning the Gillard Labor Government that they must stop duplicating approvals processes for maj or projects that simply stall development and cost our state economic activity and jobs,” Mr Seeney said.

“Just last week Labor’s Environment Minister put more green tape in the way of development in Queensland – more hurdles for business to jump, more delays to the process and higher costs.

“It just duplicates what we do here in Queensland and is absolutely ludicrous.

Mr Seeney said the LNP Government was committed to best practice approvals processes and was happy for the Federal Government to audit those processes, but would not support a duplicate process.

“I will be meeting with Mr Burke to seek an end to this bureaucratic madness, so that we can get on with bolstering economic activity and growth.”